SOME leaders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agree that the influence of the party is fading in the South West. They noted that: “Until something is done to address the situation, the party might lose the 2015 elections.”

Since the emergence of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the national chairman of the PDP efforts have been made to reach out to all aggrieved members of the party in the zone to address what is often described as ‘internal crises, but little has so far being achieved.

Worried by the situation in Lagos, former president Olusegun Obasanjo identified big egos as a big hurdle in chasing way forward.

Also a founding member of the Lagos PDP, Chief Olayinka Amos said, “The PDP is what is it in the South West zone because some of our past governors and politicians allowed the success of 2003 to enter into their heads, and now we are paying dearly for it.”

PDP’s woe in the zone was followed by the ousting of former governors Segun Oni of Ekiti by same Court of Appeal in October 2010 and Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun in November same year. “Members of the party in the states have since found it difficult to put their subsequent together in act elections.”

Despite losing the states to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the hope of PDP regaining relevance in the South West suffered a big blow when it lost the Ondo State governorship election to the incumbent governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in October 2012. The defeat was blamed on the internal crisis in the party.

Meanwhile, the task of ousting the ruling ACN in Osun and Ekiti in the impending governorship elections remain one of the major tasks facing the PDP in South West in 2014.

A former National Deputy Chairman PDP, South West Chief Olabode George is however optimistic that going by the moves to address the crises in the party “there is the hope that it will take-over Osun and Ekiti states next year, and by 2015, Lagos State would fall.”

Ekiti: Finding reasons to agree and unite

From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti

SINCE it lost the state to the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has remained divided.

But what transpired at the 2012 end of the year party held for the party members by the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd) at his Ipoti-Ekiti home has given optimists hope of reconciliation.

At the event, the Irewolede group, otherwise known as 310 groups and led by Bunmi Ojo dined with the Fayose faction for the first time since the party held its congress in March 2011.

The Deputy Vice Chairman (South West) Chief Olusegun Oni leads one faction while Chief Ayo Fayose and Olubolade lead the other faction. The factions emerged after the March 18, 2011 Congress.

At the said congress, the Olubolade and Fayose group polled 318 votes to produce Makanjuola Ogundipe as the chairman and all other party executive members. The Oni faction scored 310 votes. Their chairmanship candidate Akin Omole declared himself, the factional chairman, thereby setting the stage for the polarisation of the party.

Incidentally, the party national leadership has recognised the Ogundipe-led executive, and all efforts to bring back the Group of 310 has failed. Meanwhile, the executive in line with the directives of the national leadership is harping on reconciliation, while Oni’s group is canvassing for harmonisation.

In an interview, Oni said that reconciliation would be difficult without harmonisation because the bone of contention was the refusal of the Group of 310 to accept the “winner takes all” attitude of the Group of 318.

According to him: “There can’t be serious reconciliation without harmonisation, if you say you are reconciling, did they fight each other before? Disagreement arose because some people felt left out from the affairs of the party. That is why we have to seek accommodation for those who feel so. We must accommodate everybody so we can all work together to achieve our objective as a party.”

But the group led by Ogundipe has said they are open to reconciliation and ready to readmit “disgruntled members” but cautioned against the insistence on harmonisation.

In an attempt to find a solution to the problem, a governorship aspirant Abiodun Aluko advocated for the expansion of the 40- man State Working Committee to accommodate the aggrieved members. “The present Executive should be allowed to stay, but new offices can be created because the 14 –member Executive is not sacrosanct, so that peace can reign.”

As the crisis lingers, there are suggestions that the Oni group has the backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo while the Ogundipe led executive has the blessing of President Goodluck Jonathan and Tukur.

Ondo: Brimming with hope

From Niyi Bello, Akure

The results of the October 20, 2012 governorship election in Ondo State in which the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olusola Oke placed ahead of Rotimi Akeredolu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has convinced PDP that it still has chance of controlling politics of the state, which it lost on February 23, 2009.

Although the party failed to defeat the incumbent Labour Party (LP) governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, a failure that the candidate is contesting at the Election Petitions Tribunal, the fact that it took only three months to the conduct of the election to get its acts together after a protracted crisis, showed that despite its internal squabbles, the party could dictate the course of Ondo politics.

The cause of the division has been identified as the political interests of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, the party’s leader and former governor and Mimiko and former party chieftain who is still believed to hold a significant influence within the PDP whether for good or for ill.

Agagu had been responsible for the building of the party since 1999 and with Oke, nurtured the party to the level of winning a statewide election in 2003 during which he emerged as the governor.

The rivalry between Agagu and Mimiko began during the period preceding the 2007 governorship contest when Mimiko, resigned his position and left the PDP to float LP, which within four months of its formation won the governorship election.

A sizeable number of party leaders left PDP with Mimiko out.

In fact the gulf created within the party leadership had run along the two political figures with those still within the party blaming those who left, particularly Mimiko for instigating crisis within its fold.

Barely two weeks after PDP’s hurried exist from the Government House, the hidden cracks within its wall started to show.

Former Finance Commissioner, Tayo Alasoadura who had set up a statewide structure to achieve his governorship ambition, and other members of Agagu’s inner caucus openly disagreed with the leader’s leadership style, which they blamed for the power loss.

The crisis manifested in the opposition against the Dr. Tayo Dairo-led state executive and its subsequent dissolution to pave way for a caretaker committee to soothe frayed nerves.

Opposition against the Dairo-led executive argued that the PDP lacked the capacity to pull itself together after the loss and that the failure of the party to make any meaningful impact during the three bye-elections within two years across the three districts, have confirmed the allegations.

All efforts by other leaders like Oke who conceded to the opposition and created an environment for the emergence of Ebenezer Alabi as the Caretaker Chairman still came to naught as fresh disagreements, this time around spearheaded by other notable leaders like Professor Olu Agbi, three-term Senator Gbenga Ogunniya, Chief Segun Adegoke and Senator Bode Olajumoke, threw more spanners into the works.

The emergence of Oke, created a peaceful atmosphere and the party, like a sleeping giant was aroused from its slumber.

The high expectations were however short-lived. The Agbi-led faction, which now had Akin Olowookere as chairman, denounced the efforts of the party at winning the election and threw its weight, most unexpectedly, behind the candidature of rival LP and Mimiko, its flag bearer.

The argument of the Agbi group was that Mimiko should be persuaded to come back to PDP and that the incumbent was the most formidable politician in the state who can withstand the onslaught of any party.

They also argued that the process that produced Oke was a flawed one because the likes Agagu, Oke are from the southern senatorial district where the party has its strongest base and which had dominated the party’s gubernatorial ambition.

But the party’s mainstream leaders accused the disgruntled faction of acting the script of Mimiko to deliberately incapacitate the PDP, which they said was the only party that can give the incumbent a run for his money.

After the election which should have provided the party an opportunity to look inwards and address its problems squarely, a fresh dimension to the crisis has emerged with the Director-General of the Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation, Dr. Dare Bada, alleging that the campaign funds were diverted by the candidate to cause the party’s failure.

As the party pointed accusing finger at Mimiko, who they accused of instigating Bada and others to cause further chaos in the PDP to preempt the outcome of the on-going litigation at the tribunal, members of the party’s caucus in Bada’s Akure home base, last week, denounced his role in the crisis.

Oyo: Caught between dreams and reality

From Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has targeted 2015 as the year to oust Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and return to the Government House.

Meanwhile there have been efforts to close ranks and form a united front to face the PDP. A meeting was convened by the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ms Olajumoke Akinjide amidst efforts to bring back former Governor Rashidi Ladoja who left the PDP to float Accord Party (AP) on which he ran the 2011 polls.

There was a glimmer of hope that the crisis was over when, at another meeting called by Akinjide, aggrieved leaders of the PDP including former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, Senator Lekan Balogun, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP (South), Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, former Minister of Power and Steel, Wole Oyelese, erstwhile Deputy Governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi among others, embraced one another in the spirit of unity.

Balogun said, “when Akinjide first invited us to Abuja for a peace meeting of Oyo PDP, some of us were skeptical. But when we got to Abuja, we were happy we went. When we listened to her, we became happier. Her intentions are sincere.

The new love turned sour in the build up to the last nationwide congresses of the party. There was a new realignment and factions broke. Former governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Balogun, Folarin, and some National Assembly members are in the camp opposed to the return of Ladoja.

Members of the second faction, which is loyal to Akinjide include former deputy governor, Chief Taofeek Arapaja, some commissioners and aides under the Alao-Akala administration, former speakers, former state party chairmen and others. They want members of Ladoja’s party integrated in the new Oyo PDP and that the state leadership of the party be conferred on Ladoja.

The division led to parallel congresses, the emergence of two state working committees and two secretariats, one at Mokola, on Queen Elizabeth Road and the other on Yemetu Road. Not even the reconciliation visit of the zonal vice-chairman of the party, Chief Segun Oni, could persuade the chieftains to come together. In addition to Oni’s visit, there is a strong pressure on the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to dissolve the state executive committee and accommodate other members and provide space for Ladoja, who has ruled out his return to the party.

Former council bosses had supported the dissolution and reorganization of the state executive committee if the party wants to win future elections in the state. At present, Senator Folarin, working with the Deputy Chief Whip in the Senate, Hosea Agboola and Ajibola Muraina oversees the State Executive Committee.

The group of council bosses said it took the decision “after a thorough examination of the present position of the party in the state, the future of PDP in Oyo and the overwhelming demands of the people of the state for a quick rescue from the hands of the visionless government of ACN in the state.”

But another group has threatened to go to court if the state executive is tinkered with.

Alao-Akala, who had also called for the restructuring of the state party for better electoral result “I know the problems in Oyo PDP.

“At every level - ward, local to state - we have leaders we respect. We don’t lord anything over anybody. We respect one another, and by so doing, we can move the party forward.”

Folarin told journalists that the chieftains are tired of intra-party wrangling. The senator hinted that the situation among the elders in the party is getting better and “we are in the mood for reconciliation; we have no choice than to reconcile.”

Folarin described the bickering within the party as a good development, as “ours is a party that gives room for every shade of opinion and there is no way some members will not feel aggrieved, which is why we always seem to be in crisis.”

Ahead of the 2015 elections, Oyo PDP is likely to remain a party in disarray should the gulf among its leaders continue to widen. And any hope of returning to the Government House will be a tall dream.

Lagos PDP, learning to live with big egos

By Seye Olumide

FORMER president, Olusegun Obasanjo repeatedly told the leaders of the Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that they must unite if they intend to have a chance against the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in future elections.

Obasanjo advised the state executive of the party to check their ego and sacrifice their individual interests for the interest of the party.

He said: “It is only when the leaders agree to sink their ego and regard the party’s interest as supreme and above that of individual the party will come out strong and able to wrestle power from the ruling party.

“The leaders must agree to work together to build the party and restore it to the right path.”

Since the assassination of former governorship candidate of the PDP Funsho Williams in the build-up to the 2007 elections, the party has never found its voice and has remained factionalised. In the midst of the confusion that engulfed the party, the chieftains could not settle for another candidate. While some members of the party wanted Williams’s widow, Hilda to take the mantle, others thought otherwise. The party finally settled for Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who decamped from the then Action Congress (AC) to the PDP, as the governorship candidate.

The emergence of Obanikoro led to the exit of the Williams’s group from the party to the ruling AC.

In the build up to the 2011 elections, the rift between the former National Deputy chairman of PDP South West, Chief Olabode George and erstwhile Minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe also split the party.

There was the hope when some members of the ruling ACN like Omotilewa Aro- Lambo, former Secretary to Lagos State Government and others defected to the PDP but the defection didn’t enhance the chances of PDP in the election.

While Ogunlewe’s camp accused George’s camp of unilaterally imposing Ade Dosunmu as the gubernatorial candidate, George also described Ogunlewe and his group as “the moles of the party, selling out party plans to the ACN.”

The emergence of Dosunmu, led to the defection of former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Demola Seriki, Alhaji Lanre Rasaq, Mr. Tunde Salau, Mr. Wale Ahmed to the ACN. The other governorship aspirants like Tokunbo Kamson, Babatunde Gbadamosi, Owolabi Salis, Femi Pedro and Qudus Folami who did not defect, failed to support Dosunmu.

The rift between Ogunlewe and George deepened when some members, believed to be loyal to Ogunlewe protested the nomination of Roli, wife of George, as a board member in one of the Federal Government parastatals. Ogunlewe condemned the nomination despite the position of some members of the executive that the nomination was to compensate George for his contributions to the party.

When Ogunlewe expressed interest in running for the chairmanship of the party, after the expiration of the tenure of the Chief Setonji Koshoedo-led executive.

George, who had interest in Capt. Tunji Shelle (rtd), opposed Ogunlewe. At a meeting to discuss the way forward for the party, George accused Ogunlewe of anti-party activities.

Ogunlewe accused George of being the brain behind the crisis in Lagos PDP and considered his ambition to lead the party as an opportunity to end the era when George handled the PDP like his private estate.

Meanwhile, The PDP spokesman, Taofeek Gani recently said that all personal interests causing division in the party had been taken care of as both camps have agreed to work together for the sake of the party.

He said: “A meeting was recently organised where all the known leaders of the party agreed to work together. But we cannot rule out the fact that some people would always want to work against the interest of the party.”

Ogun: The battle of three musketeers

By Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta

THE internal crisis in the Ogun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) began in 2008 and it has lingered on ever since. The friction led to the holding of two primaries by the party to elect the party’s candidates for the 2011 elections.

Between 2010 and 2011, the battle was over who will control the party’s structure in the state. In this instance, the contest was between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Governor of the State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. But the battle is now between Obasanjo, Daniel, Buruji Kashamu and Senator Jubril Martins Kuye.

Just before the elections, supporters of Daniel moved over to People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), which Daniel formed when he could not use the PDP platform to pursue his interests. His prodigy, Mr. Nasir Isiaka was PPN flag bearer, against the PDP candidate, Chief Adetunji Olurin.

Both candidates lost to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Incidentally, Daniel insisted that it was his supporters who left the party and that he remained a bonafide member of PDP.

While the Obasanjo faction emerged victorious at the end of the legal battles that followed after the 2011 election, the faction soon has problems when a new faction emerged. The Kashamu faction broke away from the Obasanjo on the excuse that Obasanjo did not consider any of his supporters for Federal Government appointments allotted to the state. The Kuye (JMK) faction later emerged on a similar excuse.

At present, the party has two elected executives, one led by Chief Dayo Bayo and the other by Senator Dipo Odujirin.

At a point, the party’s National Executive Committee (NWC) ordered the Chief Segun Oni- led South West Zonal Executive to take over the administration of the Ogun chapter.

As the confusion continues, the Daniel faction merged with the Kuye and Kashamu factions.

Due to mistrust among the three factions, the Kuye and the Daniel faction have left the alliance, leaving the Kashamu faction to standalone. A party chieftain confirmed that the Kuye group had met Obasanjo in an effort to reconcile while the Daniel group has also initiated moves to tow the same line.

The chieftain said, “I can say that soon Daniel will meet Obasanjo in an effort towards reconciliation.”

Obasanjo has not forgiven Daniel for his activities that cost the PDP the 2011 governorship election.

The former President reportedly vowed that he would never belong to the same camp with Daniel.

Meanwhile the party national leadership recognises the Odujirin-led executive. Recently, an attempt by the Dayo Bayo-led executive to take over the Secretariat Complex resulted in violence. Mobile policemen are still guarding the place.

As an attempt to break up the factions, the party’s national leadership decided that any defector who wants to return should do so as an individual and not as a member of a group.

This might pose a challenge to Daniel’s supporters because Daniel is insisting that if his members are to return, they must do so as a group.

Osun: Hunter and the hunted, as PDP faces ACN

From Tunji Omofoye, Osogbo

MOST members of the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still find it difficult to accept their party, which once spoke with one voice during the first tenure of the Oyinlola administration, has become fragmented. The internal crisis has forced some members of the party into the waiting arms of the ruling ACN. Although various reconciliation meetings have been held to mend the cracks in the PDP, some members who left have refused to return. Prominent among them are Elder Peter Babalola and Akin Titiloye who left for the ACN. Babalola, erstwhile Chief of Staff to Olagunsoye Oyinlola rebuffed several overtures to lure him back. The defections o the ACN has terribly decimated what remains of the PDP in the state. Recently, the governor, Rauf Aregbesola and his party, ACN held a mega rally at the Technical College, Osogbo, during which about 8,000 members of the PDP were received into the ruling party.

The last congress of the party produced the Ganiyu Olaoluwa-led state executive, which has attempted to resolve the leadership problem. The emergence of Olaoluwa had brought to the fore the sharp division within the party. Olaoluwa, a former chairman of Olorunda council and supporter of the former chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore defeated Kayode Idowu, a former member of the House of Representatives a supporter of Oyinlola.

In an effort to show his presence the PDP held a rally at the party secretariat on Osogbo-Gbongan Road and claimed that about 1000 members of ACN had left for PDP.

Olaoluwa, said that he has been managing the affairs of the party satisfactorily to foster unity and that the party is waxing strong in spite of the odds. According to him, “the party is ready to give the ACN a good run for their money in any future election.”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109911:south-west-pdp-in-search-of-identity&catid=73:policy-a-politics&Itemid=607

PDP is bracing up for the next Upper cut from ACN south west PDP is about to die. My people have seen the dividends of democracy. The transformation in Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ekiti and Edo will continue

Obj is the one causing problem in Ogun PDP. See some1 who is not ready to sacrifice his selfish interest & he is advising others to do so. when members are talking of reconciloation, he talking of harmonisation with only him selcting the state chairman.

abrat: Obj is the one causing problem in Ogun PDP. See some1 who is not ready to sacrifice his selfish interest & he is advising others to do so. when members are talking of reconciloation, he talking of harmonisation with only him selcting the state chairman.

Na True Talk. He caused PDP to loose in SW.It wil be difficult for PDP to get the power back.

abrat: Obj is the one causing problem in Ogun PDP. See some1 who is not ready to sacrifice his selfish interest & he is advising others to do so. when members are talking of reconciloation, he talking of harmonisation with only him selcting the state chairman.

Obj or no Obj, PDP is dead and Buried in Ogun State and South West.

PDP in Southwest? Just like Dinosaur in Sahara desert

Extinct

Only a deceitful person or blind human being will be talking about PDP as a relevant party in the SW...we've dumped PDP where it rightly belong ...in the dustbin where GEJ posters where pasted in Abuja.